Should You Remove The Wallpaper?
When tackling home renovation, there are two very different approaches to painting. One approach is to cut corners to save time and money. This includes skipping steps like the removal of wallpaper, applying primer, taping off baseboards, and more. While these steps may take more time, they all serve a greater purpose of making your home interior look its best.
The other approach is to respect the process and handle each step with care. Painting over wallpaper may leave you with an unfinished look, blemishes that shine through the paint, vertical seams along the wall, and problems with wallpaper glue. By taking the time to remove the wallpaper before you paint, you will be left with an excellent final result.
Continue to learn more about the process of painting over wallpaper and whether or not it is worth the time saved. If you have any questions about Prim Painting or would like to receive a quote, contact us today.
Brightening Up Old Wallpaper
Wallpaper has become more and more common again, and a once dated look has become a modern trend. While wallpaper may pop in a room, you may want to renovate or update a space in your home. A new color or a new vibe can sometimes make a dramatic change. Choosing the right paint color can brighten up a space that was once dingy and dated.
If there is a concern over whether or not to remove the wallpaper because of damaged drywall or other potential problems, you can paint over it. Just know that when you apply paint over wallpaper, there are some drawbacks. If you’re looking for painting contractors to provide professional painting services, contact Prim Painting today.
The Advantages of Painting Over Wallpaper
Painting wallpaper may seem like it would save you a significant amount of time, but we still encourage homeowners to have their wallpaper removed before painting the room. There are some small advantages to painting the wallpaper. In an older home, the drywall behind the wallpaper might have a lot of damage to it, leaving the walls rough and scarred. Behind the wallpaper could be damaged plaster, additional layers of wallpaper, or other issues that will need addressing.
In situations where homeowners are tackling a DIY project, they may want to skip the process of removing wallpaper simply to save time. The finished project won’t be as clean if they’ve painted over wallpaper, but it will be completed in a shorter timeframe. Ultimately, any advantages worth noting aren’t considered significant enough to warrant leaving wallpaper up and painting over it.
The Drawbacks of Painting Wallpaper
Painting over wallpaper is generally not recommended by professional painters for a few reasons. Firstly, even with the most thorough painting work, painting over wallpaper will never achieve the same level of cleanliness. Wallpaper is not as easily repaired as painted drywall, so dents and scratches that penetrate the drywall will need to be addressed. As wallpaper ages, it can rip, peel, and crack, leaving you with blemishes and imperfections that you may not be able to hide behind primer and paint. Wallpaper can soak up moisture from paint, causing it to swell and pull apart from the drywall.
Wallpaper often has visible seam lines that are difficult to cover, even with a thick primer and thick latex paint. You will have uneven walls, and the surface will have visible flaws. If the wallpaper is dark in color, the process of painting over it may take more effort than simply removing it. If you’re painting a lighter color over dark wallpaper, it will require more coats of primer, and even still, the wallpaper pattern may show through over time. If the wallpaper has texture, there is a chance the texture will be visible through the paint.
Use an Oil-Based Primer to Prep Your Wallpaper
If you do plan to skip the removal of your wallpaper and paint over it, you can use some techniques to improve your chance of having seamless, clean walls in your home. Primer paint is your best tool to help you paint wallpaper without seeing colors come through, have visible blemishes and bumps, and to hide wallpaper seams from showing up on your walls.
Using an oil-based primer over the wallpaper will yield the best results. This type of primer helps to seal in any glue from the wallpaper, keeping it from causing future issues. We recommend using a grey primer, one that will do a thorough job of hiding the wallpaper and allowing the paint to pop. Now that your primer is applied and your walls are ready to paint, we recommend using a latex paint. Latex paint is more flexible and can help reduce the visibility of imperfections on the walls from the leftover wallpaper. With a low-sheen latex paint, you are much less likely to see imperfections of the wallpaper shine through the final coat.
Remove Wallpaper for the Best Results
The decisions to remove wallpaper or paint over it will guide you on how to proceed with your painting project. Ultimately, it’s highly recommended that whenever you can, go through with the wallpaper removal before painting, as you will achieve better results.
You may be able to paint a room faster and cheaper by painting directly over old wallpaper, but the finished product won’t be as clean, and you may run into issues with the wallpaper in the future. Whether you’re redoing a bathroom, entryway, hallway, kitchen, or renovating your bedroom, we always recommend removing wallpaper before painting. Painting over a clean surface gets you a smoother, cleaner, better-looking room!
If you need assistance painting a room, removing wallpaper, or both, get in contact with Prim Painting!
The Prim Painting Process
Before beginning, we offer a consultation so we can understand your exact vision and provide answers to any questions. We will decide on what techniques and products to use and offer a quote for the job. We can help you with the paint color selection process to ensure you’re getting the paint color you want and that it makes the space shine.
Before painting begins, we will do any prep necessary, including filling holes and dents in the wall. This step ensures the paint goes on cleanly and evenly without any defects or blemishes. We are careful to protect the rooms we’re working in and clean any messes that may occur.
Begin the Prim Painting process today by getting a quote and scheduling our services!
Professional Wallpaper Removal
We are locally owned and operated in Central Ohio, servicing the Greater Columbus Area. Prim Painting offers a variety of specialized painting services. We handle both interior and exterior jobs, including siding, cabinetry, walls, deck staining, power washing, and more. If you’re looking to refresh a wallpapered room and need to have the paper removed and walls painted by professional contractors, reach out to Prim Painting for more information. Submit photos to us via our website and quickly get a quote back, or request a paint color consultation.